ADDICTION.

RESEARCH STUDY
AIM OF RESEARCH PROJECT-

The general aim and purpose of creating this research study is to show the underlying effects and symptoms of
an addiction which can be of various sorts, it is also to show various methods of inducement which may cause
an addiction to eventuate, most addictions aren’t even realized until they reach severe levels of symptoms and
affliction, most of the time being pointed out by a professional or a relative.

It is quite an arduous disease to cure as it poses a serious neuropsychological disorder which occurs quite
quickly depending on the amount exposed to the brain along with intensity and rate of the dopamine being
released into the brain.

To diagnose, investigate, reflect, and cure an addiction requires to intensive research and constant failed
attempts to remove this plight from the afflicted, many sorts of addictions are still under-going research to
effectively cure them and not just halt the addiction for finite duration.

My goal with this project is to concisely present, depict and show the gravity of such a matter all while
maintaining precision and accuracy with topics and explanations and trying strongly to not state irrelevant
information.

To prevent fraudulent information to appear bibliographical citations may be necessary and will be available to
view at the periphery of this project,

To provide an accurate biopsychosocial understanding as well as an innate spiritual understanding of an

addiction and how it affects the person in context.

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Independent Research Work Project
 INTRODUCTION

An Addiction is neuropsychological disorder denoted by a constant, intense urge to indulge and inact in a
specific behavior to satisfy a desire or a persistent need, usually by the usage of a drug. The element that makes
an addiction such a dangerous variable is the fact that people continue to indulge in it satisfying their desires
even if it brings harm and other negative consequences towards them, ignorance of the fact that people
disregard the harm and consequences of their actions all to just satisfy a desire even though they themselves
may be aware of the consequences, is what makes it a serious issue. It completely reprimands people from
stopping the act by burdening the person with a heavy mental pressure and a persistent calling to commit the
act, in which most ultimately give just to relieve themselves of the pressure and anxiety felt.

It is usually seen and pertained to as a weakness in society, something that lets others down and if spread brings
them down with them. This pursuit of dopamine and mental relaxation is usually and most frequently caused by
alcohol. Alcohol is a flammable volatile colorless liquid which is produced by the inorganic fermentation of
yeast containing sugars. It is also used as an industrial solvent and fuel, but it is widely used in beverages such
as wine, beer, and liquor.

When used in drinks alcohol (in the form of ethanol) acts as a drug and is an intoxicant present in the drink.
When consumed it releases immediate gratification which is the sole cause of all addictions,
this short term gratification causes the person to seek this sort of pleasure repeatedly and constantly as it
temporarily gives the brain a sense of relaxation and happiness, all at the same time the person consuming the
alcohol is suffering from numerous problems, alcoholism causes multiple organs to fail and causes the liver to
be strained after constantly detoxifying the blood which causes it to halt its effectiveness at detoxification, it
also strains the kidneys after compulsive receiving of excess amino acids to remove, but this does not end there,
the most devastating effect is the effect on the brain, as it the most visible and overriding effect. Multiple studies
have shown that constant intake of alcohol causes lowered metabolic activity in the brain, it also causes other
things to take place such as difficulty walking, blurred vision, slower reaction time, slurry speech and temporary
loss of memory. All these effects combined tell us that an addiction to alcohol is extremely detrimental to the
quality of life and such induced effects should not be sustained by anyone. Most reasons of people developing
an acholic addiction is environment. Many studies have gone to prove that the chances of being an alcoholic are
greater in an environment where people consume alcohol more frequently and in a surrounding where most are
alcoholics.

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
THE VARIOUS EFFECTS OF AN ADDICTION IN
THE REALMS OF A PERSON.
An addiction usually comprises of various effects that occur on the person physically and mentally including
effects on nearby people such as family and the whole of society both physically and mentally.

A very clear-cut effect of an addiction is the weakening of self-control, it is not fully negated but rather
weakened to the point where the person keeps falling back into the addiction unable to liberate himself, this
alone is a huge cause for mental peril as an average person can acknowledge the fact that he cannot seem to
control himself and is causing himself harm, but the most terrifying thing about an addiction is the fact that
people ignore these thoughts all due to the their overriding conception that they will receive relief and a
satisfaction from committing the act, they completely defy all the signs and consequences which are then
ultimately noticed by other people, the addict will continue to deny his addiction mentally imprisoning himself
creating a barrier between himself and other people disallowing him help from others, this most usually is the
reason people do not seek help from professionals or try to open up with relatives or friends in order to mitigate
the addiction. These are all profoundly extreme cases as these seem to appear commonly.

Physical effects are quite common methods to realize and cease an addiction, but due to the mental barriers
upheld this becomes relatively difficult. The body suffers the most, mentally the person seems to be in bliss due
to the mind-altering effects on the synaptic clefts in the neurons. The relatives, friends and family of the addict
can also go through suffering, seeing their dear one go through such a dramatic change for the worse, something
that changes their behaviors in their company appearing more distant, more violent, more emotionally volatile
than before and seemingly not making any clear sense of their actions can really hurt someone depending on
how close they are to that person. This brings over a dark veil over a family, especially if the father is the addict,
it can ruin marriages, traumatize children and may leave the family broken leaving them to financially suffer by
bearing the burden. It can mean many things for a child; the child might go down that same path themselves in
order to gain an everlasting feeling of temporary relief.

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
The child might not be mentally well enough to continue school, or go to further education and might drop out,
potentially ruining his future. He might be burdened with providing for the rest of the family causing him to
drop out and start a job early forced to lock away his own future to provide and bring food on the table.

All these consequences can occur on just the family itself, it might also influence the other people around the
social circle of that person, such as friends, which may also start to do what he does leading them down the
same path, it can spread but it is hard to stop unless drastic measures are taken, which are usually not possible
until done for the whole of the society.

It sets a definite bad impression on children, which at that tender age may be influenced quite strongly at an age
where the right and wrong still needs to be governed by their guardians to prevent them from harm. Adolescents
can be greatly pulled into the spirals of an addiction due to the many cognitive changes taking place in the
brain, these simultaneous changes give a disproportionate amount of deciding capability to the behavioral and
reward section of the brain causing adolescents to go through with things that may bring the harm and without
properly considering the consequences and risks the same way an adult would.

Studies and research have shown that adolescents are more prone towards falling into addictions by consuming
substances which may configure that effect, in addition to that they are also less liable to stop and are more
susceptible to relapse after attempting to face the addiction.

If a society is heavily influenced by the use of drugs and other intoxicating substances their image is slandered
in the eyes of others and is difficult to then change that point of view, which is why the effects on addiction of
one person which can spread to others is such a danger viewed and observed in both realms of the person both
physically and mentally.

DATA AND STATISTICAL PRESENTATION OF

AN ADDICTION

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
This graphical representation depicts the initial effects of high dose exposure to an addictive drug on the gene
expression which is a process in which the gene synthesizes enables it to produce an end product, a protein or
RNA, and ultimately affect a phenotype which is an observational trait or affect in the expression and feeling of
a person released, into the nucleus accumbens for numerous sorts of proteins being released, these graphs
illustrate the change in rate of protein neurotransmitters being released into the forehead of the brain.

ADDICTION: A CASE STUDY

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC
Independent Research Work Project
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Independent Research Work Project
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CONSEQUENCES OF PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
 Rise in Confidence
Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC
Independent Research Work Project
With physical well-being comes the quality of a boost in confidence due to splendid health and brain activity
being greater than someone who is plagued with an addiction, This confidence boost occurring in due to good
physical health is not an uncommon surge, studies have found that most people with upright fitness tend to be
more confident in social situations and act more like themselves outside, this is something that today’s youth is
lacking as fast foods, indoor activities that do not actuate any physical well-being, and addictive habits and
substances cause them to maintain a large amount of anxiety in public spaces or in social situations with others,
causing many sorts of problems such as bullying, which commonly occurs due to others sensing a weakness
from you and often causes depression in people which may affect the very outcomes in a person’s life as mental
struggles can disturb the flow of learning or even lead people to suicidal thoughts which is an immensely
dangerous and grave consequential outcome.

 Active and healthy mind

An active, energized, and strong mind is a direct consequence of maintaining one’s physical well-being and it
can bring about a multitude of benefits which directly effect a person’s trajectory in life, most people sooner or
later realize that having a healthy body and a sound sharp mind can alter many of the things we do towards our
own advantage. By having a healthy mind, we can gain a higher level of success in studies and learning and our
capability to improve and learn rises. Our memory sharpens as the brain places the information into the long-
term memory stage much faster than someone who is addicted to drugs and other behavioral addictions and is
unhealthy in eating and living. Even besides learning it can provide us with a lot of benefits such as quick-
witted actions and a shrewd ability to think and understand others, we also appear more lively to others and the
high brain activity is acknowledged by most that are seeming to pay attention.

 It Increases Endurance and Mental Well-being

Having good physical health can improve the mental endurance of the brain, as the brain is kept healthy and and
in good physical condition and it’s components working smoothly and efficiently it significantly increases the
Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC
Independent Research Work Project
mental endurance of the body, the person’s set point conditions are kept more rigidly in place due to the body
activating negative feedback more efficiently and smoothly due to the body’s physical conditions being at a tier
best which brings us the best of our humanly possible abilities, it improves our immune system and the
efficiency of it’s defenses working and help develop antibodies faster, it also increases our temperature
resistance and our vision is clearer and the eyes tire less and work aptly.

MENTAL WELL-BEING
 It provides us with clarity of thinking
When our mind is filled with positivity and only good thoughts, no bad thoughts can easily reach us or penetrate
to us, which leaves us with a sound mind with clear goals and a clear conscious which helps us think clearly. It
leaves our mind in a state of such focus and concentration that most goals slightly above our expected levels can
be accomplished due to the mental mind not holding any setbacks to differ it from it’s goals and keep it behind.
With clarity of thoughts, the person does not need to go through many a struggle an average person goes
through due to the fact that the mind is strengthened enough to withstand such things and an accurate response
can be deployed when necessary.

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
  It helps us make good and incisive decisions
When a person achieves mindful precision and clarity the decision-making processes in our mind seem to
become much easier, even if faced with difficult decisions the mind is heavily strengthened and is better at
dealing with such stress and mental overload than someone who is unfit and unhealthy and doesn’t practice
fitness, or someone who has poor mental physique and mental cognitive thinking due to poor habits leading to
such levels. When the time to make a decision arises the mind can efficiently utilize its strengths to amalgamate
a sufficient response to deliver as the speed of conscious thinking is greater and faster and can produce
insightful responses in small periods of time. This can greatly benefit us in time of crucial need where we a
person may need to make split-second decisions especially in sports where the timing of decisions and strategies
coincidingly working with our reaction timing to produce a fast and sharp play.

 It improves mental capacity

When our mind is clear and mentally in good shape the ability to organize, bring out and formulate thoughts
becomes an effortless thing to do, with our mind staying active and well-organized the capacity to store
information in one session rises, this is because of the speculated theories developed by psychologists say that
the brain’s memory is dependent upon cues that help us recollect and re-instate that specific information and if
the brain’s thoughts are clouded, unclear or filled with other random expressions it can disturb the brain from
establishing a cue trace onto the brain to firmly place that information. It generally means that the amount of
information that can be stored based on a singular actuating cue or trace depends on the mind’s clarity and
efficiency of absorbing information.

STRATEGIES TO HELP A PERSON SUFFERING

FROM AN ADDICTION
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Independent Research Work Project
  Visiting a professional therapist and psychiatrist
Visiting a professional psychiatrist which is specially trained to deal with these sorts of problems can be the
some of the best ways to alleviate the addiction as a psychiatrist knows the best way to make our brains negate
the effectiveness of an addiction and can find ways that personally cause us to reduce the intensity of the
addiction. A psychiatrist not only tries to go deep into our mental state and learn thoroughly about us but also
provides catered and specific responses to us to help combat the addiction, Another advantage of choosing a
psychiatrist for help is the fact that most people feel the need to open up and explain their problems to them so
they may help them, as it is something most addicts long for since they cannot seem to gain help from anywhere
else, it seems like the last option to escape the addiction.

Exercising and Practicing self-improvement.

Exercising can cause intensive amount of change in a person’s behavior as it transforms a person's mentality
and changes their viewpoint on life as their mind starts to attain mental clarity and thoughts start to appear
organized and clear with less shrouded behavior and decisions, it can definitely lower a person’s addictive
intensity. Practicing self-improvement is the next step after exercising and working out as it then starts to
transform the mental wirings of our brain giving us new perspectives to delve in and new concepts to assist us
in understanding our own world in different lights, it can provide wisdom to us which when acted upon can
render the need to use an addictive substance or addictive behavior useless and not worthwhile.

It can give us new routines to implement into our lives and move on from an addiction by finding other
methods, healthy methods to receive instant gratification. By moving on to newer things we leave the thing that
causes us harm for something that will benefit and provide us with gratification at the same time for example
practicing the violin, it produces satisfaction and helps us develop our musical sense which may end up
benefitting us in the future. Playing and practicing sports such as football and basketball also provide us with
gratification and by continually doing it, we end up happy and lose the need to make the use of addictive and
harmful substances, the gratification obtained is bundled with the level of fitness and mental strength attained to
play such sports which in the long term greatly benefit our lives.

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
Stoicism.
Practicing this variant of philosophy can mentally change a person's actions. Stoicism is the philosophy of life
which helps maximize positive emotions and minimize negative emotions. It helps people to hone their virtues
and ideals by transforming their beliefs into something that is realistic and helps people see the true meaning
behind the things they do and assist us in realizing things that aren’t meant to be negatively taken. It sets
boundaries between what we can control and things that are out of our control, stoicism is an ideal way to learn
deeply about life and interactions and understanding the true standing points of things we value in life.

It enhances and values good spirit among others and tells us to value people and relationships over material
things such as money, power and accessories because the face value of such things are ignored in stoicism, the
long term value and power that people, relationships, good attitudes with others, coherent values and restraint of
emotions bring are without a doubt greater than material things, such ideals and pillars can bring a person to
stop seeing much value into an addiction and makes them focus into developing social values and ethics.

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
Meditation
Meditating can heavily benefit us in stopping an addiction, by meditating we clear our minds to reach this
mental state of clarity by focusing our mind into a state where we are forced to clear out the other Incoming
shrouding and intrusive thoughts that may distract us to get back into the addiction, but meditating can provide
strengthen our self-control and composure and that is exactly where it’s power lies. Every time we perform
meditation, we strengthen the hold our mind has on that addiction by seizing control over ourselves and
reinforcing our reasons for stopping the addiction by practicing the self-control obtained.

 Changing our diets to foods that strengthen the mind to prevent

addiction
A diet that is healthy can change our minds and keep us away from addiction for good.

Keeping a diet healthy enough to strengthen the brain and give it more power and activity can be a great way to
seize control over an addiction as well, by improving our mental fortitude we increase our self-control, clarity
of reasoning, and cognitive functions all to remove the sheer idea of the addiction taking over us and causing us
harm ever again, though it does require intense mental training.

Foods like leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach and broccoli can boost brain activity

Other foods that help in brain power rising is eating fatty fish, berries and Walnuts which are very beneficial to
the brain,

Drinks like tea and coffee also give the brain more energy and help us mentally relax giving us a sound mind
that can make helpful decisions.

Muhammad Faizan Kaleem 11-D 21345MSC

Independent Research Work Project
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Independent Research Work Project
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Independent Research Work Project
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Independent Research Work Project